Skinny skis offer moving meditation at Silver Star

Anna Hestler, Vancouver Sun11.18.2013

The recent rainstorm that lashed the Lower Mainland turned to snow at higher elevations, especially in the Shuswap Highlands and Monashee Mountains north of Vernon. Silver Star Nordic Centre manager Guy Paulsen says that 64 centimetres have fallen since last week, enabling a soft opening of some trails on Nov. 9.Silver Star
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Last year, Silver Star Mountain Resort introduced its My1Pass, which provides a free upgrade/pass to Nordic/cross country, snowshoe trails, the Tube Town tubing park, and free skating on the Brewer’s Pond. It’s back again for this year, too.Silver Star
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Webcam at Silver StarWebcam
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Silver Star Resort: A sweet early-season storm swept through the North Okanagan the first weekend of November, dumping more than 30 centimetres of snow in 24 hours.SkiSilverStar.com
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Picture yourself going on a long hike through an old-growth rainforest. You come to a clearing and super-heated water bubbles out of the ground and trickles...

"Kick back and glide," hollered Denys, my instructor, as he assessed my graceless shuffle. Then he scooted uphill while I huffed and puffed behind. On the way down, my skis shot out of the tracks and I tumbled. My first lesson in cross-country skiing was a humbling experience.

I'd returned to Silver Star Mountain Resort - in the Thompson Okanagan region - where my husband and I had slalomed down runs with names like Blast Off and Holy Smokes for the past seven winters. Now, with a bad back, I'd reluctantly retired my downhill gear and decided to explore Silver Star's vast cross-country network.

On this trip, I'd twirl around the Super Trail System - 105 km of beautifully varied Nordic trails that connect Silver Star Mountain with nearby Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre. Together they form the largest groomed trail system in Western Canada.

Denys offered encouragement. "As an alpine skier you're ahead in balance," he said as I teetered on my long, narrow skis and struggled with the Classic Nordic diagonal stride: kicking back while pushing off with the opposite pole.

"It's all about rhythm," explained Denys as I lurched forward like Frankenstein. He demonstrated the V-shaped herringbone technique for ascending steeper hills and the half snowplow for the descent. Before long, I was scrambling up and down gentle slopes - and falling fast for my new sport.

"Cross-country is great exercise," declared Denys. "You raise your heart rate and work many muscles without pounding your joints," he added as several seniors glided past. I could do this for life.

After two hours of practice, I headed for Silver Star's one-street village to meet my husband for lunch. Blink and you could miss it were it not for the colourful Victorian-style architecture. With a handful of restaurants, there's no glitzy après-ski scene. But there is a community of locals and repeat visitors that know each other, ski together and socialize off the slopes.

Silver Star's unassuming charm has earned it accolades such as Best Family Resort in Canada and Best Place to Take Your Nordic Skiing Significant Other.

Blessed with plentiful champagne powder, sunny skies and scarce crowds, it's reputed for an early Nordic season which kicks off in November.

Having refuelled, my bundled-up husband tottered out in clunky ski boots. Meanwhile, I sauntered off in my featherweight cross-country footwear, rejoicing that I didn't have to sit on a chairlift in frigid temperatures. But I did have to climb the mountain myself.

After an active day on the slopes and trails, a soak in the hot tub became an essential après-ski ritual where my husband and I traded ski stories and enjoyed the tranquillity of the surrounding forest while our limbs loosened. Recharged, we'd then meet up with friends for a beer or a meal in the village.

One night, squeals of delight drew us to the resort's Tube Town, where kids were ripping down a baby run in inner tubes. I almost gave it a go, but chickened out at the last minute.

Instead, I watched my husband belt down in a tube far too small to contain his overflowing limbs.

A new day, a new adventure as I set off for Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre, a cosy club surrounded by top-notch trails. I met Trish, a cheery member who handed me a map. "There's a scavenger hunt today," she chirped. "The winner gets home-baked cookies." she added. I was off like a shot.

I didn't win any prizes, but my determination paid off. That day on the trails, I slipped into a rhythmic glide across the solitary landscape. I observed the details of the surrounding forest: Brown and white lichen dangled from branches like old men's beards, and trees cloaked in snow looked like glistening ghosts. Time stretched as I savoured the crisp air. It didn't matter where I was going. It was good to be where I was.

On our rest day, my husband and I joined a snowshoe safari led by a local naturalist, Roseanne, who shared the secrets of Silver Star's sub-alpine forest. "Snow moles are scurrying underneath the snow you're standing on," she informed us. "And these single tracks are pine marten," she added. We learned that the wildly scattered ones that reminded me of the March Hare in Alice in Wonderland belonged to snowshoe hares.

Back on the trails, I embarked on a challenging traverse up Silver Star Mountain. The ascent began gradually, but became steadily steeper. In the stillness of the forest, I focused on the steadiness of my breath and the constant swoosh of skis - and I drifted into moving meditation.

On reaching my destination, I revelled in the snow-capped peaks before me. Trees rustled and a black raven soared overhead calling to mind one of Canada's First Nations legends about the bird: Raven as bearer of light to the world.

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